August 1st, 2008

technology — No Comments
1
Aug 08

Happy One Month Anniversary

This is not about some relationship or anything like that. Well, it could be since I am discussing a law that is designed to break people up with their cell phones.

The idea itself is good. There are too many people, especially in Southern California, who drive around while gabbing on their cell phones. This should be put in past tense, but there’s a wonderful way to get around that. But, that’s coming later.

For the past couple of years, we all* knew that July 1, 2008 was when the new law went into effect. Having a cell phone conversation while you hold the device to your ear has been illegal in Calfornia for a month. Fines start from $20.

Hands-free devices, such as Bluetooth earsets, are the only legally acceptable way to have a mobile chat behind the wheel. A major loophole is texting. Not for long, perhaps.

In San Diego, there was a 30 day grace period after the state law was enacted. The honeymoon is now over.

I bought a Bluetooth earset to go with my phone. I’ve made a few calls while using it during the latter half of this month. I’m not very fond of wearing it, especially while driving. Somehow, I find having the thing in my ear distracting, even more so than using a hand-held phone to my ear.

A local friend of mine has decided not to bother with getting a hands-free device. For him, driving too and and fro somewhere has become the one time he’s unreachable.** He can’t use the cell phone while driving and that’s his official excuse. Everyone here would be better off to follow his example. Southern California streets would be safer. However, there are other issues that need to be addressed, but that’s another post.

* Those of us in California, that is.

**Chris has lamented losing the airplane as the last place of unreachability. That is, if one chooses to pay for the WIFI. Hopefully, Texas will join several other states in banning cell phones on the road. He can then have that excuse like my friend.

television — 2 Comments
1
Aug 08

Eureka: Bad to the Drone

Parents and children is the theme of the third season opener. Carter tries to exhert a little parental control on Zoe, especially after she gets a job at the Cafe Diem. A testing of small robotic fightercraft goes wrong as one achieves an adolescent level of sentience. Interestingly, they are called Vipers and Zoe later describes them as Cylon. Zoe and the Viper also has a bonding moment where the Viper tries to help her get away from Carter.

Eva Thorne, the corporate killer, is brought in to make Eureka and Global Dynamics more efficient and more money making. She also brings with her a maternal disapproval of how things are run at Global and also ideas. No doubt she’ll be around for quite a while, making difficult situations even more complicated.

While the romance between Carter and Allyson Blake is put on dry ice, the idea of Blake and Stark getting married is out there. She doesn’t say yes yet, but she’s thinking about it.

Product placement is now hard to get away from: cases of Degree product shows up here and there. This reminds me of when Zima showed up on Babylon 5. Does anyone drink that now? Will Eureka’s product placement increase the amount of Degree users? That remains to be seen.

fashion / television — 2 Comments
1
Aug 08

Project Runway: Bright Lights, Big City

Project Runway has officially been around long enough for it to have generated some clichés. The one that gets used since Season 2 is the show loans contestants digital cameras and they are set loose in Manhattan to take pictures. From simply roaming around in broad daylight to perusing the Met, the idea is that inspiration can come anywhere at anytime. It seems that the producers and writers need a professional equivalent of this exercize.

Of course, the shutterbug clichés meets another one: bait and switch. Whenever Heidi Klum greets the designers with that clipped but chirpy hello, we know something is up. So do the designers, and the silence really is golden (pardon the cliché).

This week’s bait and switch – a night out on the town turns out to be too literal. No going out, no needed stress relief by dancing one’s ass off; just roaming around four key points in New York City taking pictures of the lights. They all seem to take it very well in their ponchos and rainboots. Perhaps they were compensated with a bottomless supply of cocktails after they returned to their suites.

Blayne, AKA Tweaker Beck, takes a beautiful picture of the light, but his dress becomes a walking Gay Pride flag on his model.

For some odd reason, Leanne reminds me of Cassandra, long haired girl who wore sundresses and Doc Martens, on Beavis and Butthead. Her slow, thoughtful way of speaking and even her odd inflection were a little too dead on. Unfortunately, I remember that more than her dress. Not good.

While I don’t care about Keith being ultra pushy during the snap shoot, I thought his dress was conceptually brilliant. It looked great on TV, but it must have sloppy close up. Or, Nina was reaching for a comment.

Emily of the Sarah and Tegan haircut goes. The ruffle is just wrong and now that’s a cliché.

This is where some will ask me to turn in my gay card: Sandra Bernhard as guest judge? Seriously?

Ugh, this season seems like it’s going to be full of celebrities trying to establish their fashionista cred. The only one who really has it so far is Natalie Portman.